Ravens Pull Away From Browns 25-15

For one quarter, it all worked out as the Ravens envisioned. Ray Rice was chewing up yardage, fullback Vonta Leach provided punishing lead blocks and Joe Flacco converted on timely throws.

The Ravens’ offense, which had done next to nothing on the road all season, was back — or at least so it looked. However, a dominant first quarter and a 14-point lead gave way to a severe offensive drought and allowed the Browns to overtake Baltimore 15-14 in the Fourth Quarter.

But somehow, some way, Joe Flacco always finds a way to beat the Browns.

Flacco threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith with 4:26 left as the Baltimore Ravens won their 11th straight game inside the AFC North with a 25-15 comeback win over Cleveland on Sunday.

Before the nine-play, 81-yard scoring drive that culminated with Smith’s touchdown catch and a two-point conversion reception by Anquan Boldin, the Ravens had been held without a first down for more than 30 minutes and watched a 14-0 lead disappear.

Flacco finished 15 of 24 for 153 yards. He completed his first 10 passes, but Cleveland’s defense shut him and the Ravens down for most of the second half until the final TD drive.

But it was Cleveland’s inability to score TDs when it had the chance that doomed the young Browns, who will head into their bye week stinging from another game they could have won.

Dawson made field goals of 32, 28, 29, 33 and 41 yards. The 14-year veteran is 17 of 17 this season and has made 23 straight dating to 2011.

Baltimore improved to 5-0 after a bye week under coach John Harbaugh, who like Flacco is 10-0 in his career against Cleveland. The Ravens are still in first place in the AFC North at 6-2 and will host the Oakland Raiders next Sunday at 1 pm.